The Beatles Bible

Written by: Robinson
Recorded: 18 July, 17 October 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 10 April 1964 (US)

John Lennon: lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, bass
George Harrison: harmony vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
George Martin: piano

Available on:
With The Beatles
Live At The BBC
Anthology 1

The first song recorded for The Beatles' second album was a cover version of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' You've Really Got A Hold On Me, originally a hit in 1962. Read more »

Written by: Willson
Recorded: 18, 30 July 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)

Paul McCartney: vocals, bass
John Lennon: acoustic rhythm guitar
George Harrison: acoustic lead guitar
Ringo Starr: bongos

Available on:
With The Beatles
Live At The BBC
Anthology 1

Till There Was You, sung by Paul McCartney on the With The Beatles album, was written by Meredith Willson for the 1957 musical The Music Man. Read more »

Written by: Berry
Recorded: 30 July 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 10 April 1964 (US)

George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar, handclaps
John Lennon: rhythm guitar, handclaps
Paul McCartney: bass, handclaps
Ringo Starr: drums, handclaps

Available on:
With The Beatles
Live At The BBC
Anthology 1

Originally a hit for Chuck Berry in 1956, Roll Over Beethoven was sung by George Harrison on The Beatles' second album. Read more »

Written by: Holland-Bateman-Garrett-Dobbins-Gorman
Recorded: 30 July 1963
Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 10 April 1964 (US)

John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums

Available on:
With The Beatles

Originally the debut single in 1961 by Motown group The Marvelettes, Please Mister Postman was recorded two years later by The Beatles for their second album With The Beatles. Read more »

Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 11 September 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)

John Lennon: vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: bass
Ringo Starr: drums
George Martin: piano

Available on:
With The Beatles

Written and sung by John Lennon, Not A Second Time featured on the group's second album With The Beatles. Read more »

Written by: Bradford-Gordy
Recorded: 18, 30 July, 30 September 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 10 April 1964 (US)

John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
George Martin: piano

Available on:
With The Beatles
Anthology 1

Originally recorded in 1959 by Barrett Strong, Money (That's What I Want) was the thrilling closing track on The Beatles' second album. Read more »

Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 11, 12 September, 3 October 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)

John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass, piano
George Harrison: lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums

Available on:
With The Beatles

Little Child was another of Lennon and McCartney's original songs on their second album. Although written with Ringo Starr in mind, it was recorded with the writers sharing vocal duties. Read more »

Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 30 July 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)

John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums

Available on:
With The Beatles

It Won't Be Long kicked off The Beatles' second UK album, With The Beatles. It heavily featured the band's distinctive "Yeah, yeah" signature established with She Loves You, this time in a call-and-response style between Lennon on lead vocals, and McCartney and Harrison doing harmonies. Read more »

Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 11, 12, 30 September; 3, 23 October 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)

Ringo Starr: vocals, drums, maracas
John Lennon: backing vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
George Harrison: lead guitar
George Martin: Hammond organ

Available on:
With The Beatles
Live At The BBC
Anthology 1

Ringo Starr's vocal contribution to With The Beatles was also recorded and released in 1963 by The Rolling Stones as their second single. Read more »

Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 11 February, 12 September 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 10 April 1964 (US)

Paul McCartney: vocals, bass, handclaps
John Lennon: backing vocals, rhythm guitar, handclaps
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar, handclaps
Ringo Starr: drums, handclaps

Available on:
With The Beatles

Although released on their second album With The Beatles, Hold Me Tight was originally attempted by The Beatles during the mammoth 11 February 1963 session that yielded the bulk of songs for Please Please Me. Read more »

Written by: Harrison
Recorded: 11, 12 September 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)

George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar
John Lennon: rhythm guitar, tambourine
Paul McCartney: bass, claves
Ringo Starr: drums, bongo

Available on:
With The Beatles

George Harrison's first original song was written on tour in August 1963. Read more »

Written by: Richard P Drapkin
Recorded: 18 July 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 10 April 1964 (US)

George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar
John Lennon: backing vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
Ringo Starr: drums, maracas

Available on:
With The Beatles

George Harrison took lead vocals on The Beatles' version of The Donays' little-known 1962 song - originally Devil In His Heart. It was one of a number of cover versions recorded for With The Beatles. Read more »

Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 30 July 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)

Paul McCartney: vocals, bass
John Lennon: backing vocals, rhythm guitar
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums

Available on:
With The Beatles
Live At The BBC
Anthology 1

Generally considered to be his first major work, Paul McCartney's songwriting highlight on The Beatles' second album was written during the band's tour with Roy Orbison, which began on 18 May 1963. Read more »

Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 11 September 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)

John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums

Available on:
With The Beatles

The second song on The Beatles' second album, All I've Got To Do was started and completed in the same productive session that also saw the band begin recording I Wanna Be Your Man and Little Child. Read more »

Recorded: 18 July-23 October 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

Released: 22 November 1963

John Lennon: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambourine, handclaps
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass, piano, claves, handclaps
George Harrison: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, handclaps
Ringo Starr: vocals, drums, bongos, maracas, handclaps
George Martin: piano, Hammond organ

With The Beatles (Remastered)

The Beatles. EMI 2009, Audio CD, $9.87

Tracklisting:
It Won't Be Long
All I've Got To Do
All My Loving
Don't Bother Me
Little Child
Till There Was You
Please Mister Postman
Roll Over Beethoven
Hold Me Tight
You Really Got A Hold On Me
I Wanna Be Your Man
Devil In Her Heart
Not A Second Time
Money (That's What I Want)

The follow-up to The Beatles' debut album Please Please Me consolidated their position as the United Kingdom's number one pop act. Read more »

Precisely eight months on from the release day of their debut album Please Please Me, The Beatles released the follow-up in the United Kingdom. Read more »

The Beatles had a day off from their 1963 Autumn Tour on this day but, rather than spend it relaxing, they attended a ceremony held at EMI House in London, where they were given a number of silver presentation discs to mark their extraordinary record sales. Read more »

Studio Three (control room), EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

The final day of studio work for With The Beatles involved the creation of a stereo mix of Money (That's What I Want). Read more »

Studio Three (control room), EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

In 1963 stereo was secondary in importance to mono, which is why George Martin was able to hurriedly mix every track from With The Beatles for stereo in a three-hour session. Read more »

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith

The final recording session for With The Beatles saw a final overdub onto I Wanna Be Your Man and three mono mixes. Read more »